I had the good fortune to interview Ken Block a couple of years ago and he talked about trying to keep the Gymkhana series new and exciting, so it is little surprise that the franchise has finally made its way to Motor City.

Youtube user Revin caught some footage of Block and the newly revamped Hoonicorn Mustang shredding pavement on the John C. Lodge freeway outside of the Joe Louis Arena and Cobo Hall.

It makes one wonder if Kenny from Da Block might be making an appearance at the 2018 Detroit auto show!

Tuesday, Ken Block teased fans via social media that one person from a list including Petter Solberg, Lewis Hamiton, Jeremy Clarkson, Sebastian Loeb, Joey Logano, Tanner Foust, and Andreas Bakkerud would be leaving their team to join the Hoonigan Racing Team. The most logical pick of the bunch would be Bakkerud.

Indeed, the 24 year old Norwegian just announced today that after two seasons driving a Fiesta ST with the Olsbergs MSE team (finishing 4th and 5th in 2014 and 2015, respectively), he would be joining Ken Block for the 2016 FIA World Rallycross season in the number 13 M-Sport Ford Fiesta.

“I think that working with Ken and his team in 2016 is really going to help me elevate my driving even further, plus I’ve always admired the way they handle exposing and marketing themselves both on and off event. I think this whole thing is an incredible opportunity not only for myself behind the wheel this year, but to learn and develop myself for the future as well. I can’t wait for the season to start! Thanks again to Ken and his team for this dream opportunity,” said Bakkerud.

The young driver won the FIA European Rallycross Championship in 2011 and 2012 in the Super 1600 class, both years driving a different Renault. In 2013 he competed for the first time in Supercar as a privateer in a Citroën DS3.

Ken Block announced that he has signed on for a full season schedule with FIA World RallyCross, retaining his partnership with Ford Performance. After competing and winning podiums in both rally and Red Bull Global Rallycross in 2015, he will be concentrating solely on this one series in 2016.

“For a big portion of my career I’ve maintained a mixed focus and kept a diverse race calendar, but now I’ll be focusing myself fully on one single championship,” said Block. “I’ve been stoked with what my team and I have accomplished so far with my Ford Fiesta ST racecars and I’m excited to see what we’ll be able to do next season with factory support. It’s going to be a very exciting 2016 and I can’t wait to get started. Thanks again to Ford for being an awesome partner.”

FIA World Rallycross Championship has a deep field of drivers, with notable competitors such as 2015 champion Petter Solberg. With four car categories, the series also boasts a wide range of automakers, including (but not limited to) Volkswagen, Peugeot, Renault, Citroën, BMW, and Audi.

Block had a rollercoaster season in 2015’s Red Bull GRC, finishing 7th overall after 2nd and 3rd overall in 2015 and 2014 respectively, boasting three wins and five podiums. But with several DNF’s and some disappointing penalties, it’s not hard to see why the Head Hoonigan in Charge would look to change his game and go all out with FIA World RX.

While most of the 2016 FIA World RallyCross Championship schedule takes place in Europe, two of the twelve events will happen in the Americas – 5 August in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, and 25 November in Rosario, Argentina. For the complete 2016 FIA World RX calendar hit this link.

Since drifting has appeared on the scene, there has been a bit of a battle going on between old school racer types and the new kids on the block. The old guys say that “drifting ain’t racing”. Funny thing is that the “kids” say the same thing. Drifting is more than racing, it is a display of skill, timing and car preparation. It is an art.

One thing both sides agree on is the reality that drifting isn’t fast. Any time a car is moving sideways, speed is being scrubbed off, not perpetuated. Also, to keep a car sideways for a long arc requires a level of control that just isn’t easy to maintain at really elevated speeds. Unless of course you are Chris Forsberg and the folks at Hoonigan are pointing cameras at you.[Read more…]